Hawaii man wears blackface, goes on strange rant before sentenced to life in prison for road rage attack
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A sentencing hearing for a man in Hawaii convicted of stabbing three people in a road rage attack took a shocking turn Monday when the man showed up to court in blackface and went on a bizarre rant that drew scorn from the judge.
Mark Char, 60, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for second-degree attempted murder, plus six years in prison on convictions of second- and third-degree assault stemming from a 2016 attack on the H-1 freeway.
But when Char appeared in a Honolulu courtroom Monday, the 60-year-old stunned his attorney and the judge when he arrived with his face and head blackened. He then went on a rant during which he blamed the victims and explained his decision to wear blackface as playing "my part in your kangaroo court."
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"This kangaroo court is giving me a life sentence for me trying to protect and defend myself against the attack from three guys, in essence, treating me like a black man," he told the court.
In this Monday, July 1, 2019, photo, Mark Char appears in court, in Honolulu, with his face painted black. (Bruce Asato/Honolulu Star-Advertiser via AP)
Char -- who is not black -- then drew a sharp rebuke from Judge Todd Eddins.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“This continues a pattern of disruptive behavior designed to undermine the administration of justice,” Eddins said.
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The judge then had harsher words for Char after he was sentenced, according to KITV.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"What you need to do is look in the mirror. And if you look in the mirror, Mr. Char, you're not gonna see a black person. You're gonna see a menace," Eddins said. "You're gonna see a menace to society."
The Hawaii Department of Public Safety told Hawaii News Now that Char used a black permanent marker to color his face. Staff members had tried to “attempted to convince him to wash his face” before appearing in court, but the 60-year-old refused.
"And if you look in the mirror, Mr. Char, you're not gonna see a black person. You're gonna see a menace. You're gonna see a menace to society."
A spokeswoman from the television station that besides his life sentence, Char is facing further punishment for his stunt in court that could include confinement or loss or other privileges.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“He will be charged with disobeying several direct orders,” a spokeswoman told Hawaii News Now.
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A lawyer who withdrew as Char's defender after the hearing said it was Char's choice to appear with his face and head blackened. Char had claimed he acted in self-defense while stabbing three people in the August 2016 incident.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The judge also ordered Char to pay $16,674 in restitution for a driver's lost wages and a passenger's medical bills.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.